There are some symbols that are synonymous with certain cities. London has Big Ben, Paris the Eiffel Tower and Rome the Colosseum. However, few are as powerful or as meaningful as the bee in Manchester. In times of hardship, the bee has been a way for Mancunians to come together whilst demonstrating a communal way of life. Now, it looks as though a special Nike Air Force 1 “Manchester Bee” is on the way.
Though there is little information on the importance of the bee in Manchester, there is a few snippets of information. There is debate over who founded the bee, but the story goes that either an architect of the Albert Warehouse or one of the craftsmen who laid the flooring in the town hall used the symbol to denote the city’s residents. The bee in Manchester is a symbol that represents the hard work ethic of Mancunians and the city as a hive of activity, as well as the unity of the people as a whole.
Nike has applied various elements of the bee on this upcoming Air Force 1 with clever results. A tan suede upper is paired with tan tumbled leather to give this sneaker a luxury look. On the heel, two important details can be seen; an embroidered bee on the lateral side and a honeycomb mesh on the medial side. Subtle additions such as the honeycomb mesh also add a little something else to this slick AF1. A tongue tag bears “0161,” the phone code used in the city. Finishing the sneaker off is a crisp white midsole and grey outsole, representing the notoriously cloudy weather of the city.
If you like the look of the Nike Air Force 1 “Manchester Bee” then keep your eyes peeled. At the moment, it’s set to be a size? exclusive with not much known about the total number of pairs. The pair is most likely set to be a Manchester only release but keep your eyes peeled on the KLEKT Blog where we’ll update you. Check out the images below and let us know if you’ll cop these AF1s.
Image Source: Nike
